Tell Something Interesting About One (Or More) of Your Ancestors
10-26-2011, 06:52 AM
#32
Power Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: home again, after 27 yrs!
Posts: 19,388
Texas- in the early 1800's Moses Austin began to try to colonize Texas. He became ill and turned the job over to his son,Stephen Fuller Austin. Stephen got the first 300 settlers there about 1832. He also was held prisoner in Mexico and became ill after that and really never recovered his health.
There are historical plaques at the State capital in Austin. Moses is called the Grandfather of Texas and Stephen is called the Father of Texas.
Stephen's sister, Emily Margaret Brown Austin Bryan Perry is my direct ancestor. Books have been written about all of them. it's nice having those in my book collection.
Peachpoint plantation is still in the family. (the original house was tiny-nothing like in the movies). the family cemetery is still there. at Jones Creek,near Freeport, where reunions are held.
Oh and my Mother was psychic. (hope i spelled that right)
There are historical plaques at the State capital in Austin. Moses is called the Grandfather of Texas and Stephen is called the Father of Texas.
Stephen's sister, Emily Margaret Brown Austin Bryan Perry is my direct ancestor. Books have been written about all of them. it's nice having those in my book collection.
Peachpoint plantation is still in the family. (the original house was tiny-nothing like in the movies). the family cemetery is still there. at Jones Creek,near Freeport, where reunions are held.
Oh and my Mother was psychic. (hope i spelled that right)
10-26-2011, 06:59 AM
#33
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Southwest Kansas
Posts: 4,820
My great grandmother moved from Tennessee to Oklahoma by covered wagon when she was 12. When she got married she refused to move by covered wagon again and they moved to Colorado on the train.
A 5 great uncle left home when he was 14 and came out to "Indian Territory" on his own.
A 5 great uncle left home when he was 14 and came out to "Indian Territory" on his own.
10-26-2011, 07:14 AM
#34
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 1,029
Love reading all these notes on family history as I am a genealogist. One of my ancestors was named Fitch and he was sheriff of Nottingham. My son has been a deputy, my grandson,a police dispatcher and my daughter is senior assistant to the sheriff in Spartanburg, SC. Oh I forgot most of all my father was a policeman in Scranton, PA and retired from there. Things get passed down don't they?
10-26-2011, 07:16 AM
#35
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Idaho
Posts: 6,442
I have a famous ghost! ;) :lol:
My g-g-g grandmother was Martha Ward Swycaffer. She and her sister were traveling and had stopped at the Valecito stage stop. Her sister was ill, and died there, her ghost haunts the stage stop.
http://www.prairieghosts.com/vallecito.html
She married Joseph Swycaffer, who himself was quite a character, and was a partner in the first mail service between Yuma, AZ and San Diego, CA. There is a story told of him that he was in route to San Diego when he was robbed by a band of renegade Indians. They took the mail and his horse and mules, leaving him in the desert to die. He made it back to Yuma, and after he recovered from the heat and dehydration, borrowed a horse and went after them. He found them having a heyday with the mail sacks, and chased them off, got his mail sacks and animals back and continued to deliver the mail.
William's side has a story that's a lot more fun!! His 9th great grandparents were Japhet and Deborah Leeds. They are the parents of the Legendary "Jersey Devil". Supposedly, when Deborah became pregnant with their 13th child, she got angry, saying, "I've already given him 12 children, I'd sooner give birth to the spawn of the devil than to give him another!" She shouldn't have said that! :lol:
The child was born with horns and cloven hooves, killed the midwife and ran off to the woods. It became known as the Jersey Devil.
My g-g-g grandmother was Martha Ward Swycaffer. She and her sister were traveling and had stopped at the Valecito stage stop. Her sister was ill, and died there, her ghost haunts the stage stop.
http://www.prairieghosts.com/vallecito.html
She married Joseph Swycaffer, who himself was quite a character, and was a partner in the first mail service between Yuma, AZ and San Diego, CA. There is a story told of him that he was in route to San Diego when he was robbed by a band of renegade Indians. They took the mail and his horse and mules, leaving him in the desert to die. He made it back to Yuma, and after he recovered from the heat and dehydration, borrowed a horse and went after them. He found them having a heyday with the mail sacks, and chased them off, got his mail sacks and animals back and continued to deliver the mail.
William's side has a story that's a lot more fun!! His 9th great grandparents were Japhet and Deborah Leeds. They are the parents of the Legendary "Jersey Devil". Supposedly, when Deborah became pregnant with their 13th child, she got angry, saying, "I've already given him 12 children, I'd sooner give birth to the spawn of the devil than to give him another!" She shouldn't have said that! :lol:
The child was born with horns and cloven hooves, killed the midwife and ran off to the woods. It became known as the Jersey Devil.
10-26-2011, 07:22 AM
#36
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Newberg, OR
Posts: 1,911
One of my ancestors was the woman on the Indian head penny. The story has it that she tried on the head dress and someone took a picture. The image ended up on the penny. Her father was someone at the mint.
10-26-2011, 07:29 AM
#37
Super Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: La Pine Oregon, USA
Posts: 5,907
Charlee -- why am i not surprised about that info on William's family???? LOL LOL
My GGGgrandfather (on my maternal side) was Major John Hockenhull. He served in the Civil War as a doctor. He founded one of the first gold mines in Georgia that caused a gold rush there. There is a book about him called Hockenhull Gold.
My paternal side of the family were moonshiner's also!!! Wouldn't it be funny if the other moonshiner decendents here were all related???!!! LOL
I just found out a few weeks ago that not only am I eligible for The Daughters of the Confederacy but also for the DAR!!!
My GGGgrandfather (on my maternal side) was Major John Hockenhull. He served in the Civil War as a doctor. He founded one of the first gold mines in Georgia that caused a gold rush there. There is a book about him called Hockenhull Gold.
My paternal side of the family were moonshiner's also!!! Wouldn't it be funny if the other moonshiner decendents here were all related???!!! LOL
I just found out a few weeks ago that not only am I eligible for The Daughters of the Confederacy but also for the DAR!!!
10-26-2011, 07:29 AM
#38
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Tulsa, OK
Posts: 799
My great Grandfather Eamonn O'Ragailligh (Edmund O'Reilly), was broken out of jail and put on a boat with my great grandmother and their 5 youngest kids, shortly before Easter 1916 by his two oldest sons- ages 14 and 16. He had stabbed a garda trying to arrest him for singing a forbidden song. The 16 year old died in the Easter Rebellion. The 14 year old eventually emigrated to Australia. My grandfather was born on the boat, two days out of New York, and corresponded with, but never met his older brother in Australia.
On my dad's side, my grandmother, another Irish immigrant, was famed for her cooking, and worked in some famous summer homes- she did all the dinner parties for Robert Montgomery when he was a movie star, along with other wealthy patrons. Her funeral was well attended by both the local farmers and her very wealthy employers....
On my dad's side, my grandmother, another Irish immigrant, was famed for her cooking, and worked in some famous summer homes- she did all the dinner parties for Robert Montgomery when he was a movie star, along with other wealthy patrons. Her funeral was well attended by both the local farmers and her very wealthy employers....
10-26-2011, 07:58 AM
#40
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Junction City, OR
Posts: 481
Haven't found the exact link but on my father's side, we're rumored to be related to Daniel Boone, and can prove that we're related to Johnny Cash. On my mother's side we're descended from a cousin of Marie Antoinette.
This is a great thread, I love stories like this.
This is a great thread, I love stories like this.
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